


This Love

by PinkSeelie



Series: Clerith Drabbles [2]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:47:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27898558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkSeelie/pseuds/PinkSeelie
Summary: “I’m telling you, something is wrong with these instruction manuals!”A soft laugh escapes Aerith’s lips at the scenario that greets her when she carefully opens the door to the bedroom with her free hand, balancing a tray stacked with snacks and two cans of soda on her hip with the other. “Having trouble?”
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife
Series: Clerith Drabbles [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1800433
Comments: 6
Kudos: 32





	This Love

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a short drabble that I wrote ages ago but never posted, inspired by the prompt "A and B trying to put together IKEA furniture"! It's completely unrelated to my other Clerith drabble even though they technically could go together - but that wasn't my intention ehehe!
> 
> Enjoy! :)

“I’m telling you, something is wrong with these instruction manuals!” 

A soft laugh escapes Aerith’s lips at the scenario that greets her when she carefully opens the door to the bedroom with her free hand, balancing a tray stacked with snacks and two cans of soda on her hip with the other. “Having trouble?” She asks innocently, already knowing the answer to her question. 

From his spot on the floor, surrounded by cardboard, screws, and random pieces of white painted wood, Cloud looks up at the sound of Aerith's voice with a frown adorning his face. 

Aerith bites down on her bottom lip to swallow the chuckle that threatens to spill, and carefully steps over a piece of wood to put down the tray on the bedside table next to their big bed that she adores so incredibly much. Once the tray is out of her hands, she turns on her heels to quickly smoothen out the striped bed throw on top of the bed before making her way to the blond still moping on the floor. 

“So what’s the problem, soldier?” She asks cheerfully, the smile on her face widening when her boyfriend just grunts grumpily in response. “Need some help? A woman’s touch perhaps?” She teases, knowing just what buttons to press to rile up the blond without actually making him upset. A perk, she thinks, of being in a committed relationship with someone for close to five years. 

“What I need is for these stupid manuals to make sense,” Cloud huffs angrily, albeit with no actual hint of bite towards her in his voice. “I swear we’re either missing a page or the manufacturers messed up and forgot to add something.” 

”I see,” Aerith hums and shakes her head softly, stepping over the plastic bag of metal bits and the instructions that have been tossed to the side in anger on the floor. Once she reaches Cloud, she drops down on her knees behind him in one swift movement and presses a kiss to the soft skin below the blond’s ears, tufts of hair tickling her face in the process. “You should take a break,” she suggests softly, her lips still pressed to his skin. 

Another grunt escapes her boyfriend’s lips, and Aerith just giggles softly into his ear as she wraps her arms around his neck. “Come on, Cloud, don’t be silly. Don’t let some stupid IKEA furniture mess with that pretty head of yours.” 

Unsurprisingly, Cloud’s body eventually relaxes into Aerith’s, and the blond lets his head fall back to rest against Aerith’s arm. “You’re right, you’re right” he breathes quietly, blue eyes falling shut. “Sometimes I wonder what I’d do without you in my life,” he admits after a while, one hand raised to play with a lock of brown hair thrown over his shoulder. 

“Well, you’d probably end up breaking this poor wardrobe before it even had a chance to be assembled.” 

Letting out a short laugh, Cloud lazily nudges Aerith’s head with his own. “Probably. Good thing I have you then, huh?” 

Aerith hums in agreement, pressing a few more kisses to Cloud’s cheek. “Good thing indeed! Now come on, get up from the floor and eat something. I brought snacks, and I bet all you need is a bit of energy, and then this wardrobe will practically build itself!” 

A smile tugs at Cloud’s lips, and he slowly and reluctantly retracts himself from Aerith’s embrace to stand up. After quickly stretching his arms above his head to release some tension in his shoulders, he reaches out to offer a helping hand to the brunette still sitting on the floor. 

“Why thank you, Mr. Strife,” Aerith says with a grin, immediately accepting Cloud’s offer to help by letting his hand wrap around hers. In one strong and careful tug, Aerith is brought back on her feet and right into the arms of her boyfriend. She lets out a happy sigh, her arms wrapping around Cloud’s torso as she rests her head gently against his chest solid. “Always such a gentleman, aren't you?” 

Cloud’s hands carefully slide down Aerith's sides, stopping to rest on her hips. “Only for you,” he mutters quietly, pulling her closer to bury his nose in her brown chocolatey locks. Too busy salvaging this moment where it's just the two of them in their own bubble, holding each other tight, Aerith is slightly taken aback when Cloud speaks up again. “So what snacks did you bring me?” 

” _Cloud_ ,” she huffs as the bubble bursts, her green eyes meeting his. She pushes out her bottom lip in a pout, slightly offended that her boyfriend would ruin such a sweet moment so quickly. Cloud easily wipes the pout off her face, though, by leaning down to capture her lips in a soft kiss. It’s nothing but a simple and sweet press of lips on lips, but it doesn’t fail to awaken the butterflies in Aerith’s stomach just like their very first kiss had years ago. Thinking back to that night sends a pleasant shiver down Aerith's spine and she finds herself tightening her grip on Cloud to remind herself that he is in fact right here, and he's all hers. 

Suddenly yet another sweet moment between them is ruined, this time by Cloud’s stomach growling unhappily under his white t-shirt. Aerith pulls away from the kiss with raised eyebrows, an amused smile playing on her now pink-kissed lips. 

”I guess it’s snacktime,” Aerith giggles and pulls away, one hand dropping down to grab a hold of Cloud’s. She tugs at him gently, motioning for him to sit down on their bed. “For my big, strong, and oh _so_ muscular boyfriend,” she starts, poking at Cloud’s toned abdomen. When the blond finally sits down while rolling his blue eyes, Aerith quickly joins him and scoots across the bed to grab the tray on the bedside table. “We have carrots with your favourite hummus, some trail mix, _and_ some avocado toast!” 

Cloud’s ocean blue eyes follow Aerith's every move, and he lets out an impressed sound when he’s presented with his lunch on the tray that Aerith places on the bed between them. “That looks really— wait. Aerith, why is the toast frowning at me?” 

Aerith giggles, her gaze landing on the avocado toast. Its toppings are neatly placed on top of the mashed avocado to create an angry smiley face staring back at them. “Well,” she begins, grabbing the plate with the toast in question on the tray and offering it to the blond. “I heard you cursing at the wardrobe earlier when I made it, and I— well, I got inspired!” 

”You’re lucky I’m hungry enough to ignore that. _For now_ ,” Cloud warns her as he accepts the plate, a smirk playing on his lips. 

”Ooo, I love it when you get all bossy with me like that. It’s _hot_ ,” Aerith retorts with a wink, laughing when the tips of Cloud’s ears redden at her words. As expected the blond is all bark and no actual bite. “Now eat up, big man. You’ve got a tough enemy to defeat once you’re done! I think it might be a boss fight!” 

Cloud grunts over a bite of toast, shaking his head fondly at his girlfriend. “You’re so weird.” 

Smiling innocently, Aerith picks up a carrot stick from the tray. “Yup. But that’s why you love me,” she replies matter-of-factly, pointing at Cloud with the vegetable in her hand. “And don’t even try to deny it, Strife, because you know that I know you’re actually the biggest softie on this planet!” 

Cloud raises an eyebrow at Aerith as he chews on his toast, fondness shining brightly in his blue eyes. For a second he looks like a retort is right on the tip of his tongue but he eventually settles on once again shaking his head at her teasing. 

Neither of them say anything after that, the silence that fills the room comfortable and full of words that no longer need to be said out loud. Aerith doesn't need Cloud to tell her that he loves her, she knows it clear as day. The words have been repeated so many times between them, whispered against each other’s lips. She feels it lingering in the air whenever he speaks, whenever he laughs at her silly jokes. She feels it when she tucks her sock clad foot under Cloud’s thigh and the blond carefully starts to run the pads of his calloused fingers over the skin of her exposed ankle. When she smiles brightly at him over a bite of carrot, she knows that he feels it, too. 

Three hours later, when their new wardrobe stands proudly in the bedroom already filled to the brim with the clothes that had previously been scattered on the floor, Aerith drops back onto the bed in the center of the bedroom with a satisfied smile glued to her lips. “I told you all you needed was food and a woman’s touch, Cloud. You should listen to me more often.” 

Cloud huffs and rolls his eyes playfully, kneeling on the bed to lean over the brunette with a hand on each side of her head. “Tch. I totally could’ve finished it on my own, you know.” 

Before Aerith can protest, her lips are captured in a kiss that sends sparks of joy all the way down her spine. Any witty replies of hers are lost the second her boyfriend dives in further, deepening the kiss, and she happily complies. Her body moves from memory, arms wrapping around Cloud’s neck to pull him in closer. Aerith’s heart skips a beat when she feels a smile form on Cloud’s lips, the butterflies in her stomach returning immediately. When the blond pulls away to meet Aerith's gaze, snickering quietly at how she tries to chase after him, his eyes are full of nothing but pure love. 

“Hey, Aerith?” 

"Yeah?" 

"I love you. Thanks for helping me." 

Aerith smiles brightly up at Cloud, bringing a hand to his cheek. Her thumb gently brushes across his skin, ghosting over the corner of the blond’s mouth. “Always. I love you, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was so sappy, I know sorryyy... I honestly don't even know where any, I kinda just went with the flow without thinking much about the content haha!
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading - feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think! :)


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